Benadryl or Tylenol PM.

Take a shower (or bath, if you're so inclined), brush teeth, and snuggle under the covers. You'll drop off.

And if that doesn't work, try an anti-histamine. Or booze. Or a combination of all three.

Hot tea? Make your living space cold and get under warm blankets?

For future reference, I like those melatonin tablets from Trader Joe's. They're minty and they almost always make me sleepy enough to get to bed at a reasonable time.

Yes, the melatonin. But if you had them you wouldn't ask. Relaxing music and rest. At least you can be rested even if you don't sleep.

Dr. Special-k highly recommends booze, booze, and more booze.

Nookie?

This is going to be the least sexy of all suggestions, but maybe therefore effective . . .

Do something boring, until you get sleepy.

Maybe it's reading about stuff you're really not interested in online, maybe it's about counting something inane like the number of hairs on your left index finger. The point is, it has to be something that really makes you feel bored, and you have to keep paying attention to that thing until you just can't stay awake any longer.

Forcing yourself to go to sleep isn't always possible. If you end up staying up late anyway, so you know you won't get much sleep, try deep breathing for at least five minutes before you do go to sleep. The small amount of sleep you do get will be more refreshing. Trust me.

Are you up now?

Booze never worked for me. The few times I tried it, I wound up just staring at the spinning ceiling, still not able to sleep.